Desalination is a process by which some amount of salt and/or other minerals and one or more other components of a liquid solution are at least partially separated. For example, salt water can be desalinated to produce fresh water suitable for human consumption, irrigation, industrial use, and/or a variety of other uses. Most of the modern interest in desalination is focused on developing cost-effective ways of providing fresh water for human use.
The presence of suspended solids, oils, scale-forming ions, and other contaminants can complicate and impede the operation of desalination systems. Improved desalination systems and methods incorporating water treatment steps are desirable.